This invention relates to a medical system assisting more efficient and safer performance of otorhinologic medical procedures. More particularly, this invention concerns a medical system comprising apparatus and methods for improved ear-canal and nasal-passage irrigation.
With respect to ear canal irrigation problems, when a patient complains of a foreign body or cerumen impaction within the external ear canal, it is desirable to irrigate the external ear canal with a solution such as normal saline. Presumably the dilution effect of the irrigation will wash out cerumen and debris. A physician or user may wish to control the source and positioning of an irrigation stream. For example, improper positioning of an ear canal irrigation device may sometimes present the risk of trauma, e.g., to the external ear canal. A need exists for a device that will assist the physician or user with the proper positioning of an ear canal irrigation device.
With respect to nasal-passage irrigation problems, the procedure generally requires the patient's head to be located over a sink or similar catch basin. This is not always convenient for the patient or caregiver.
When using large volumes of liquid or high amounts of pressure, contaminated liquid may spread to unwanted surfaces, including splashing onto a health care provider or drenching the patient. This is undesirable as, e.g., the risk of spreading of disease is heightened and there may be undesirable effects of getting a patient wet. The excess liquid may also soil laundry and require increased housekeeping services, using existing methods of irrigation. The excess liquid may also be an inconvenience for otherwise healthy patients; they may have to remove their clothing to prevent them from getting soaked. The above situation may be uncomfortable for the patient in a busy emergency room; and, the time necessary for the patient to disrobe would delay a doctor's or nurse's ability to treat such patient or other waiting patients more expeditiously. These disadvantages may decrease the incentive for an operator, such as a physician, to appropriately use optimal large volumes of irrigation liquid, and therefore the difficulty of properly irrigating the ear canal increases.
A female threaded device does not exist that fit any of the commercially available standard wide-mouth irrigation pour bottles. There exists a need for a nasal irrigation device that fits these common sources of reliable sterile fluid to avoid having to stock additional nasal irrigation bottle fluid containers that can only be used for nasal irrigation. Furthermore, since at a single clinical location these standard wide mouth irrigation bottles may come from different suppliers at different times based on various market factors, there is a need for a device that is compatible with all three types of commercially-available standard wide-mouth irrigation pour bottles, so a nurse or physician does not lose valuable time, for example, in a busy emergency room, searching for a female threaded irrigation device compatible with each type of irrigation bottle, and so the supply chain purchasers do not have to order a different adapter for each commercial manufacturer of standard wide mouth irrigation bottles.
Furthermore, there exists a need for better irrigation devices using commonly available plunger syringes for flushing the nasal passages of children and adults using common sources of medical grade irrigation fluid such as standard wide mouth irrigation pour bottles and prefilled saline syringes.